Sunday, July 22, 2012

RAGBRAI...travel, food and great people!

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The garden at Tim and Mimi Kamp's

Casey's Almond Patties

I am sitting here writing this looking over Storm Lake in North
Western Iowa after finishing the first day of RAGBRAI, one of the 2 short days
on the ride – 54 miles – but this is Iowa in July and it wouldn’t be so without
the HEAT which didn’t kick in until 11:00 but once it hit – we were deep into
heat (the computer on my bike registered 107 degrees). I could tell you about the crashes, the ambulances,
the crazy funny costumes but I first need to go back to yesterday because for
us RAGBRAI starts at the Expo – the day before the actual ride. The Expo is a
blast – we get lots of freebies and a cool laminated daily map that fits into
our biking shirts, there are local food vendors and the air is filled with
anticipation and energy. We got a chance
to try a lot of food and talk to the vendors and I have to tell you about Casey’s
Almond Patties which are a light crispy pastry wrapped around an almond
marzipan type of filling and generously dusted with sugar. After eating one I
wanted to know more so I went back to the tent and met Ryan who told me in
answer to my question, “What makes these so good?” that they are a 3rd
generation recipe that his Grandfather Casey brought over to this country from
Holland in 1946 and that Ryan has worked in his family’s bakery since he was a
little boy – it is fitting that the bakery is located in Sioux Center and
Orange City – places that have a huge Dutch influence. We ate gluten free food
at the Carbo-Hut and had an incredible gluten-free taco from a different vendor
that I will write about once I get a better picture – they are not only
delicious but also beautiful.

Three of us needed to attend the driver safety training
sponsored by the Iowa State Police and RAGBRAI so we stayed behind and ate a
little more after the training. When we got back to the support vehicle it wouldn’t
start…the battery was dead - so I put my daughters on the task of getting us
back up and running and they made it happen finding some great resources for us
- Team RADPAN’s (Ride All Day and Party All Night )Team Leader Aaron Gillman
who had just arrived from Virginia came to the rescue along with jumper cables
supplied by Marty Schubach from Davenport, Iowa. Between the two we were back in business –
back to the absolute best host family stay we have ever had. The food, the
hospitality the details that were thought through on our behalf was second to
none – Tim and Mimi Kamp assisted by our collective granddaughter were the best!Cinnamon rolls, veggie stir fry with shrimp
and chicken, my favorite frozen fruit cups with raspberries, pineapple,
mandarin oranges – frozen goodness, everything was just perfect . It would be
impossible to think about we would do without the kindness, care and
hospitality of the people with whom we have come in contact, who have supported
us and really sacrificed and given so much on our behalf. To me – that is the
story today of RAGBRAI – people helping people, caring about people and sharing
themselves with us. The travel across Iowa has been eventful and eating has
been satisfying, but the people have been exceptional and really make me glad
to be part of this fantastic family vacation – from my family table to yours.

Which is the most important item in this picture? This photo taken from the seat of my bicycle represents security to me. When I am out ...

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